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Lately, a series of thefts have been carried out using new methods that are vastly different from the ones people have come to identify. The cause of such crimes is not known, is it because of the illegal expatriate workers; is it because of satellite TV channels or is it the growth of electronic games. In a recent report, the Interior Ministry said over 46,073 money-related thefts have been committed, Al-Riyadh daily reported, and authorities are having to stay in step the check this growing phenomenon.
Expatriate workers
Interior Ministry reports showed that expatriate workers account for 32 percent of money-related thefts and that 7.5 percent of expatriate workers are domestic servants. The reports indicated that new methods and tricks were used to commit thefts. Sometimes, thieves dress like security officers and barge into expatriate workers’ homes and steal money, cell phones and anything in their way. Most of the thieves who committed crimes using this modus operandi turned out to be Arabs from different countries.
The other day, two Asian workers were caught stealing 12 million Saudi riyals from a currency exchange shop in Jubail Governorate. Another Asian worker was arrested after robbing the company he worked for stealing SR240,000. Several pharmacies, shops and gas stations have been targeted by expatriate workers, who manage to rob these places with impunity.
New styles
Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Shaer, deputy dean at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), said crimes have become more organized than ever. Criminals and thieves take advantage of today’s advanced technology. Because the Kingdom and other Gulf countries rely heavily on expatriate workers and recruit large numbers of them, some of the workers tend to violate the residency laws and engage in illegal practices. Some of them commit crimes or thefts using advanced styles that have never been used by Saudi thieves and criminals.
Dr. Barka Al-Hoshan, deputy dean of Social Sciences School at NAUSS, said some Saudi thieves tend to pick up these methods and use them in robbery. “Because of advanced technology, many families have failed to instill strong values in their sons at an early age. The technological revolution and globalization have undoubtedly contributed to undermining the role of families. That is why we see more juvenile delinquents. Other factors include unemployment rate and drug use,” he explained.
Dr. Manahi Binshari, assistant professor at Social Sciences School, NAUSS, called for imposing harsh penalties on criminals and thieves and developing the capabilities of police officers so that they can face and deal with all types of crimes.
“The reasons we see a large number of robberies among Saudis where robbers use advanced technology can be attributed to unemployment rates and the influence of movies and TV series that show sophisticated robberies. Another reason is disintegrated families,” he said.
Almost all countries, the Kingdom included, face difficulty dealing with the new styles criminals and thieves develop every now and then. The social media websites, the Internet and TV channels have contributed to the increase in the number of sophisticated crimes and robberies.
“We have around eight million expatriate workers in the country and some of them get involved in crimes and use advanced methods and styles. Some Saudi young men imitate them and tend to use the same methods in crimes and robberies,” he said.
